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JAMES A. HOUSE AND HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEFORT, CONNECTICUT. Letters Patent No. 72,853,'0Zate0l .December 31, 1867. i

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TO .ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known thatwe, JAMES A. HOUSE and HENRY A. HOUSE, both of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elastic Shields or Guards for Trunks, or other pack-ages, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of'this spcieation, and in which- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a trunk to which our improvement is applied.

Figure 2 represents a view in elevation of one of our improved guards detached, as seen from the inner side.

Figure 3 represents a view in perspective of the elastic portion of the guard as seen from the outer side.

Figure 4 is a plan, and i Figure 5 a side view of a modified form of guard.

Our invention relates to a novel mode of protecting trunks, packing-cases, and other articles from shocks, jars, or breakage; and it consists in certain improvements on the shield for trunks for which Letters Patent of the United States, numbered 52,414, were granted to us, February 6, 1866. v

In that patent we described and claimed a gutta-per'cha or rubber shield, simply fastened to the trunk by nails or screws. l

Our present improvement consists in securing this elastic shield in a clasp or frame of metal, which is securely attached to the trunk.

In the accompanying drawings, which show a convenient mode of applying our invention, a trunk, A, is shown, with one of our shields on cach of its corners. In this instance the shield is shown as consisting of a three-sided piece, of elastic material, (see iig. 3,) from the corner of which a knob or boss, 6', also elastic, projects. The shield is covered by a flanged clamp, c, of a shape corresponding with that of the corners of the package to which it is clamped, and has a hole in i'ts centre, vthrough which the boss b projects. The clamp is also provided with claws or teeth el, which grasp and hold the boss firmly, and with perforated lugs or ears c2, by which the clamp may be secured to the package.

By this device it will be seen that, while the shield may readily be removed orreplaced, it is irmly held and protected by the clamp, which covers all except the boss, which receives the shock. It is obvious that the form of the guard may be varied to conform to the surface to which it may be applied. For instance, in gs.

4 and 5 wc have showna mode of applying it to lat surfaces. In these figures the clamp is composed of a fiat i plate, al, with projecting lugs rZl, by which it is fastened in position, and with claws d2, grasping a boss, e. For greater security ascrew, j', is secured toy the plate, or, in other words, the clamp forms the head of the screw or nail by which itTis-fastened in place.

This form of shield may be applied with advantage to walls or furniture, to deaden the shocks of slamming doors or shutters, or to prevent the furniture from rubbing against the walls.

We have described the clamp as applied to the shield, but it is obvious that the clamp might be united to the shield before the latter is vulcanized.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, substantially as described, ofthe elastic shield with the metal clamp, for the purposes specified.

2. A perforated metal clamp, through which au elastic boss or shield projects, and by which the shield is fastened to the trunk, substantially as described.

3. The combinationoi` the elastic boss with the metal plate, having claws grasping the boss, as shown in figs. 4 and 5. i A

4. Clamping an elastic boss upon the head of the nail or screw which fastens the clamp in position, as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

' JAMES A. HOUSE,

HENRY A. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. BISHOP, Jos. I. PEYTON. 

